Wallace hits toward a win-win situation

SARASOTA, Fla. — He would never admit it, but Brett Wallace is looking like he wants to win the Astros’ first base job.

Not back into it. Not platoon. Not start there for development’s sake. Win it.

Wallace on Tuesday had his best game of the spring by far – by about the distance his grand slam traveled. He had four hits – none of them cheap – including that first homer of the spring plus a pair of doubles and a single on a perfectly executed hit-and-run. While a 4-for-5 outing is no indicator of future performance, Wallace’s seven RBIs in a 14-8 victory over the Baltimore Orioles are too gaudy not to mention.

After general manager Ed Wade took it all in from the front row at Ed Smith Stadium, he remained coy about a job he said Wallace would have to win – and ideally would win. But in talking about his roster, Wade didn’t hide that Wallace is winning.

“We acquired this guy to be our first baseman, and barring the unforeseen, there’s no reason to think he won’t be our first baseman,” Wade said. “But I’m not going to anoint a guy. (Brad Mills) writes their names in the lineup and gives them opportunities to perform.

“Some decisions will be easier than others, and right now, he’s really making that an easy decision.”

It wasn’t just Tuesday. Wallace got off to a hot start, going 3-for-3 in his Grapefruit League season debut, but he got just two hits in his next eight games. He wasn’t striking out much – he now has fanned five times in 42 plate appearances – but neither the hits nor the power was forthcoming.

Finding that rhythm

Over the last four games, Wallace has gone 9-for-16 with five doubles, a home run and one strikeout, raising his average to .350 (14-for-40) with an accompanying .381 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage.

“The whole time, (hitting coach Mike Barnett) and I talked about getting comfortable and getting me in a rhythm,” Wallace said. “The last few days, I think I’ve really found that rhythm.”

The highlight was in the Astros’ six-run fourth inning when Wallace worked the count full against presumed Orioles closer Kevin Gregg. He then got a fastball that was so precisely in the typical lefthanded hitter’s happy zone that it could be called a giddy zone. Wallace didn’t miss, sending it well beyond the right-field fence.

His lone out came on a well-hit liner. The first double went halfway up the outfield wall. The second traveled down the right-field line and did enough bouncing that it had alert fans pondering a cycle. But with the Astros up by 10 runs and with no sense in risking an out at third base, Wallace gave himself the stop sign. His day was done, and he was on the first bus back to Kissimmee.

Erasing any 2010 doubts

“My goal has been that I wanted to be in shape when I got here, and I wanted to be aggressive and be myself,” Wallace said, noting he’s never consciously trying to prove anything. “I felt like once I got my stride and got to the point where I started feeling comfortable at the plate, I would be doing enough that they saw I could help the team win.”

The contrast, which can be viewed as a concern given the unpredictable nature of spring training or a sign of hard work, is vivid between spring 2011 and late summer 2010. Upon being acquired indirectly by the Astros in the Roy Oswalt trade, Wallace failed to replicate his three .300 seasons in the minor leagues, hitting .222 with little power and an unsightly 50 to 8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Proving what they say

He’s going to hit, they said in private and in this newspaper and many other outlets.

They’re still saying it.

“We know he’s a hitter, and he’s always been able to make those adjustments, and he’s making them this spring and really hitting the ball very well,” Mills said.

Added Wade: “He’s going to be a good hitter; we know that. We knew it when we acquired him. If he doesn’t hit, it would be an upset.”

The refrain continues and would have continued if Wallace were hitting .150 instead of .350 this spring. There will just be less gravity with each at-bat or when Carlos Lee gets reps at first base, which would ready the Astros for a backup plan if “the unforeseen” happens.

“I know Millsie’s going to give Carlos some playing time, but that’s just to give Carlos playing time,” Wade said. “If Brett continues to just do what he’s capable of doing, he’s going to be fine over there for a long time.”